The Aberration
by Skyverr
Summary: My brother was alone in the house when I took the dog out for a walk, but it was a stranger that greeted me at the door when I returned - no brother in sight. That was the moment the world began to tilt. That was the moment I discovered I didn't exist. SI OC.
1. Chapter 1

**Author:** Skyver Pi

 **Summary:** My brother was alone in the house when I took the dog out for a walk, but it was a stranger that greeted me at the door when I returned - no brother in sight. That was the moment the world began to tilt. That was the moment I discovered I didn't exist. SI/OC.

 **Warning:** Swearing

 **AN:** I've been craving a well written SI/OC story, so I thought maybe I could just write one. Please let me know if there are any corrections that need to be made, grammar or otherwise. Also, is the summary interesting? I'd like to know if I should change it. Thank you for clicking on the story, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **The Aberration**

 **-x-**

 _Chapter 1_

 _January 4, 2018_

Wind trickled through the fabric of my beige beanie, allowing a steady stream of brisk winter air gently comb through the covered scalp. Waterfalls of chestnut tresses were pressed against my face, eager to soar and ride every gentle breeze as if they were wings that yearned to touch the sky. The rest of my body, however, was grounded and attempting to fight off the winter chill. My shoulders hunched further together in a fruitless effort to keep warm as I treaded through the untouched blanket of snow that covered the sidewalk. Dakota, a Siberian husky and loving member of my family, trotted happily at my side with a wolfish grin on her face. The current weather was something of a godsend for her, I thought with a grin.

Snow was a rare luxury for those living in Texas, so it's presence was a refreshing surprise since moving from Vermont few years ago. It also happened to be the main reason I decided to take Dakota out for a walk, despite the colder temperatures and pervasive darkness of the looming nighttime.

The crunch of snow underfoot and Dakota's happy snorts lulled me into a peaceful reverie as we meandered throughout the darkening maze of familiar houses. The neighborhood was nothing but silent and drowsy around us; the unforecasted evening snowfall had shuffled people off the roads and into their homes in record time. The two of us had been walking for a good hour so far, and my thin gloves already started to fail in keeping my hands warm, so I eventually decided to start heading back home.

I took a right onto Emery Street and continued down the unmarred snowy path. I was halfway down the street when an odd feeling overcame me. I bit back a laugh as my numbed skin felt a tingling sensation surge through their pores while a dull ringing echoed in both my ears. Then Dakota stopped abruptly. Right in front of me. Her sudden halt had me stumble over her stilled form, and I squawked as I made an ungainly effort to keep my balance with wild arms. Somehow, miraculously, I avoided completely tripping and steadied myself. Once safe, I gave Dakota the stink eye. "Really? You just had to stop right in front of me?"

The gray husky didn't react to my sarcastic drawl, so I rolled my eyes and sidestepped her - pulling the leash as I did. She refused to budge, whining I tried to tug her along. I glanced back at the dog with arched eyebrows and an exasperated look on my face. I tugged the leash weakly a few more times, but she stood her ground. I huffed tiredly, "Come on, girl. Let's go home. Dakota, come. You want a treat? You want your frisbee?"

Her continued lack of response had me sighing irritably, "Come _on_ , girl." I pulled at the leash harder, but the she was awfully obstinate, digging her strong paws into the powdery white terrain. Annoyed at her stubbornness - which was one of her legendary traits - I rolled my eyes and pulled her along with firm arms. Her paws finally slid forwards across the snow and my snort of victory billowed like a congratulatory sign in the air.

However, my victory was short-lived.

Those few winning steps forward resulted in an agonizing failure.

Without warning, the air around me changed into something frigid and tangible. My body suddenly convulsed and shuddered, and the devil himself squeezed my internal organs them viciously, crushing them. My skin knew nothing but the invisible molten lava being poured mercilessly onto it - the clothing did nothing to protect against the agony. I couldn't see. I couldn't hear anything but the blood pounding in my ears. I couldn't breath. _I couldn't breath._ _I couldn't breathe. Icouldn'tbreathe-_

All this happened in the span of a single moment.

Then suddenly I found myself falling forward, awake and dazed, laying belly-down in the snow, shocked and entirely unable to move. The impact didn't register at all, and the unadulterated torture I had just endured had already began to fade and dissipate into nothingness...as if it hadn't happened at all. However, it was clear that _something_ happened, because my body suffered the aftereffects of the unexpected trauma. My heart rate had probably tripled, my breathing was rapid, and my muscles refused to stop trembling.

It took a few moments, but eventually my brain finally rebooted from the initial shock and my body had stopped quaking enough for me carefully push off the ground and sit upright. Adrenaline still thrummed and seared beneath my skin, and my thoughts were still far from coherent.

"...What the fuck was that." My hand pressed against the the frantic drumming of my heart; all other sounds drowned by the it's deafening beat.

 _What the fuck. What the fuck. Fucking hell. Shit. Fucking shitting hell. What the fuck._

The mantra of inner curses and confusion didn't cease, and I would've stayed like that for a while if it weren't for Dakota. It was a stroke of luck that I actually registered her pained whine behind me. At the sound, my head whipped towards her direction without hesitation. My almond shaped eyes widened almost comically and the anxious expression of my face quickly shifted into one of fear when I saw her body crumpled and defeated near the bottom of my shoe.

The time it took to turn around and hold her in my arms set a personal reaction record, yet it didn't feel quite fast enough.

"H-Hey, Dakota, you alright?" I murmured hoarsely, removing a glove and threading my uncovered fingers through her thick neck fur. Her answer was given in the form of another pained whine, and I shushed her gently and spoke soft words of comfort. A few minutes passed and although she seemed a bit disorientated, I was able to get her to roll onto her stomach. I scratched her head and she finally wagged her tail some, her usual black-lipped grin adorning her muzzle. I sighed with a smile of own, relieved that everything seemed okay.

Still rather shaken, I slipped on my glove and slowly rose to my feet. I brushed snow off my jeans thoughtlessly as I casually glanced around the silent neighborhood. I kept looking around, wondering if there was anyone around to witness whatever happened. Though, the shadowy street was as quiet and empty as it was before. It wasn't until I looked back that something unusual caught my eye.

The air _rippled_.

I gaped at the odd phenomenon, backing away quickly. I studied it with ample curiosity and apprehension. It didn't look too different from heat waves; the body of air thrummed with numerous small waves along its length. I could even liken it to a pond with a rock thrown into it - minus the water.

I stepped back further, tugging on Dakota's leash so that she'd get up and _move_ away from whatever the hell it was. Thankfully she scrambled to her paws to follow my lead without hesitation. Her reaction only heightened my trepidation of being so near the anomaly. I glanced around us, searching the street for any other signs of rippling air pockets, yet there were none to be seen. I shook my head and continued to increase the distance between us the pocket of air ripples. It was perfectly clear that whatever it was was dangerous. It had probably been the very thing that had seemingly _ripped apart my body._ A part of me wondered if death was just as painful.

"Alright...so weird rippling air...hurts like hell...maybe it's some weird electrical air pocket?" I wondered aloud, chest tight with apprehension. I didn't linger and stare, however. The rippling air had me anxious enough to back away further and further before abruptly whipping around and power walking away from the aberration. My heart still thrummed frantically as I left it far behind me, marching to the end of the and headed straight home. Thoughts and questions plagued my mind the further away I was from the anomaly.

Had I been electrocuted? I'd never been electrocuted before, so I wasn't too sure if it was a reasonable conjecture, but I knew some of the symptoms. Pain. Shock. Twitchy limbs. The suddenness of the attack also supported the theory. Thus, despite not being in the best state of mind, the possibility that I was electrocuted sounded almost plausible. After a few moments, I gave in to my half-assed deductions and decided I'd just go with it.

My hand was just hovering over my jacket pocket when I froze mid-step, mind whirring as I internally freaked out.

Who _doesn't_ panic when their phone might've been fried to a crisp?

" _Dammit!_ " I looked down and fumbled to unzip my jacket pocket and pulled out the smartphone I had paid for myself. My eyes roved over the phone, looking for any crispy damage, but it looked completely fine. The lack of superficial damage didn't really relax me at all however (because it's 'what's on the inside that matters'), so I held my breath and turned it on.

The bright lock screen greeted me like an old friend.

The time read _7:25._

I heaved a pleased sigh and entered the password to check whether or not the touchscreen worked. It did. I grinned and put the phone back in my pocket.

Dakota and I trudged our way through the snow (there seemed to be less than what I remembered), so we reached Steambrook Drive in a matter of two minutes and headed up the white sidewalk and past the line of houses until we reached home. The familiar sight of the bricked single-story house set my overly frayed mind at ease as I turned onto our driveway. My feet led me up the porch steps and to the glowing front door. I stopped briefly and scrunched my face when I noticed the different design on the glass window. It was odd. However, the painful throbbing in my toes and fingers accompanied by uncontrollable bouts of shivers had me reaching forward to grab the knob.

Only, it was locked.

 _Ugh, of course Aaron just_ had _to lock the door._

I scrunched my face in irritation before obnoxiously knocking in a familiar rhythm that usually had Aaron running to the door in less than a minute. As I waited for him to come, I tilted my chin down and watched Dakota with a small smile. I put a hand to her furry head and chuckled some, "Well I hope you liked that walk, because I think I'm letting someone else do the walking next time. Probably for the next month."

A shadow fell over the window and I looked up quickly to see a figure of a woman walking down the short hallway. Mom was home already?

The door opened.

I looked at the blonde-haired stranger in front of me.

Uhh…Who was this?

"Hello?" she sounded and looked just as confused as I did, her dark blue eyes glancing down briefly at Dakota before meeting mine again.

"Hi?" My eyes were furrowed and I stepped back quickly to check the address on the side of the door. Yep. 7012. Definitely my address. Soo...Mom invited an adult friend over? Or Dad? Or Aaron?

"Um...Can I help you?" she asked politely, yet she sounded rather unsure. It was the fact that she asked that specific question that perplexed me even more.

"Uh, I live here." This conversation couldn't get any more awkward.

"I'm sorry, you have the wrong house. Are you sure you have the right address?"

I was wrong.

This conversation could actually get a hundred times more awkward.

I replied uncomfortably, "Um, yeah, I'm pretty sure I live here. 7012 Steambrook Drive. I've lived here for almost six years, so there's no way I could mix it up. I just took Dakota here out for a long walk."

The woman remained silent, probably lost for words, and the awkwardness build.

With dialogue at a standstill, I cleared my throat and started meekly, "Well...obviously this is really strange...and I'm pretty confused...but do you mind if I come inside? I've been out for more than an hour and I can't feel my face or toes. I swear I'm not trying to pull any funny business, and I promise that I'm not trying to hurt or rob you or anything. I just need warm up... and think. That's all, I swear it."

She blinked before eyeing me warily, no doubt debating internally on if she should trust the words of a complete stranger. As her eyes scoured my entire person, her wary expression changed into something reminiscent of worry. She gave a light sigh before giving into my request by opening the door wider and saying, "Come in, hun. You can take off your shoes and put them to the side. "

"Thank you. Um, I hope you don't mind my dog, she's a sweetie and I won't let her off her leash." At my relieved words, Dakota's tail began wagging and her cerulean eyes sparkled with excitement. I gave her a quick head rub.

"Not at all. She's a beautiful dog," she replied smoothly. The woman still looked incredibly tense, but I respected her for being able to take this situation in stride. I smiled gratefully at the woman as Dakota and I crossed the threshold into the house; the warm air was ambient inside. I quickly pulled off my shoes and left them by the door. On my way out of the hallway I inhaled the odd scent lingering...in what should be _my_ home. I kept the leash short and looked around the house with a scrutinizing eye. The walls and hallway tiles were still white and the carpeting was also the same soft cream as before. However, that was the only thing unchanged. The decor, furniture, and the entire kitchen were different. It was both familiar yet utterly foreign.

My hands fidgeted at my side and my front teeth began to softly graze the tender flesh of my bottom lip.

"Mom, who's this?" A preteen boy with the same blonde hair as his mother appeared from the hall that led to the sun room - usually dubbed the game room by my family.

I glanced back and our shared gaze was fleeting yet meaningful. My attention was quickly back on the boy, and I answered sincerely, "My name's Jamie Crowell. I'm just...ah, warming up a little and stuff."

After introducing myself, the mom and I made out way to the kitchen while the boy disappeared back into the game room. We got to the kitchen table and I pulled out one of the kitchen chairs to sit in, keeping Dakota close as I did. I took the opportunity to peel off my wet gloves and set them down. My fingers burned from the sudden warmth of the home, but I didn't mind too much. I reached down and scratched my dog between the ears so that I had something to do with my hands while we waited quietly in an awkward silence - waiting for the other person to say something.

I eventually caved and was the first to speak up.

"This _is_ 7012 Steambrook Drive, right?" I looked up and asked the woman directly.

She pulled out the seat resting opposite of me and sat down gracefully, "It is."

"Arlington, Texas?"

"Yep," she chuckled weakly.

"Then I'm stumped." I paused before asking, "What's your name?"

"My name's Angela Judy. Most people just call me Angie or Ann." She introduced herself, and I could only blink as she stuck out her hand formally from across the table. I took her hand briefly and smiled thinly. "You said your name is Jaime, right?"

"Yes ma'am."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen. I'm in my second year of college," I replied truthfully. "I'm attending the community college nearby, so I've been living with my family."

"Ah."

A lapse of silence passed over us before I fidgeted and took out my cell phone. I looked up at her and laughed meekly, "I'm just going to call my parents...and find out if I'm going insane or not."

Angela looked distinctly relieved by my sudden remark.

I turned on the phone, unlocking it and scrolling through my contacts till I found 'Home' and dialed it. I pressed the device to my ear and waited for it to dial. I heard the tone once, twice, three times -

And it just kept going _on and on_ until there was an automated message about having no service. I looked down and noticed how I had absolutely no bars. This had never happened to me - at least, never at home. The only time I'd have no bars was when I was out in the middle of nowhere. Everything just kept getting _better and better._

I removed the phone from my ear and forced myself to keep my breathing under control despite the stress that was steadily starting to unravel my composure. I tried to dial my Mom's number next and prayed for a miracle. It didn't work, so I tried it again.

Again.

Again.

 _Again._

"Can I use your home phone, Angie? My cell is apparently out of service." I finally asked, and she nodded with a smile before standing and quickly swiping the said phone off its charger. I thanked her quietly when she handed it to me.

I dialed my home phone and waited with baited breath.

The other phones scattered around the house started to ring.

* * *

* _Edited 4/28/16_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author:** Skyver Pi

 **Summary:** My brother was alone in the house when I took the dog out for a walk, but I returned to strangers whom greeted me at the door - no brother in sight. That was the moment the world began to tilt as I slowly began to realize what had was the moment I discovered I didn't exist. SI/OC.

 **AN:** Special thanks to _MusicLover315, johnnyx3, and VenaHope_ for being the first three reviews! Sorry for not posting for an entire year, but I wasn't sure what direction to take the story, so I didn't want to post any more chapters till I knew for sure. I have two more finished chapters after this...and then, well, hopefully 2017 will let me be more motivated!

* * *

 **The Aberration**

 **-x-**

 _Chapter 2_

I froze, staring dumbly into space.

 _This can't be happening._

My eyebrows furrowed as I hesitantly pressed the end call button. The phones stopped their shrill ringing. I swallowed thickly, staring at the phone in my hand, rightfully speechless. The quickening thumps of my heart reverberated through the cage of my body; each beat echoed ominously as if they were premonitions.

"That's my home number," I said aloud, almost inaudibly.

"Is this some sort of prank?" The woman narrowed her jade eyes marginally, and I internally panicked at her tone.

"N-No! I swear it! I'm not...I'm not exactly the type of person who enjoys pranking random strangers, or even people I know." I rushed out in a fluster of stuttered words. Anxiety kneeled down onto the threshold of my coherent mind, threatening to sap all rational thoughts, yet I stubbornly pushed it back. I felt it crawl and nestle into my chest instead, but that was okay. The most important thing I could do was think through my situation with a clear and level head. With a hesitance born from confusion, I admitted truthfully to the blonde, "I really don't understand what's going on. I _know_ that's my home number."

"Maybe you should try another number?" Angela suggested placidly after a moment of silence, but I could tell by odd intonation of her voice that she was equally as bewildered and uncomfortable as I was. This entire situation was disconcerting, honestly.

I nodded, conceding. "Yeah...I'll do that."

My fingers were deft as they pressed the numbers required to contact my mom's cell, but I was reluctant to hit the call button. I somehow knew it wasn't going to work, but I refused to let my optimism waiver. I forcefully pressed my thumb down after a few moments of hesitation.

Anxiously I waited as the phone dialed the number. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Four rings. Five rings -

"Hi, you've reached the voice mailbox of _Larry McNair._ If you wish to leave a message, please wait until after the tone _-_ "

I ended the call abruptly and squeezed my eyes closed. This was insane. This was absolutely insane. My eyelids peeled open unwillingly before I took a deep breath and attempted to input my dad's number.

One ring. Two rings. Three rings -

" _Hello?"_ A blunt feminine voice echoed in my ear...and I...I wanted to _scream_ at something. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't Dad. This wasn't an answer to all my questions.

"Hi there. I was hoping to reach a Blake Crowell?"

" _Sorry, you got the wrong number."_

"Okay then, thank you. Bye." I ended the call and immediately set the phone on the kitchen table. Frustration and uncertainty were voraciously tearing apart my sanity and swallowing it piece by piece. Seeing how neither one of my parents had their rightful phone numbers - and that our house was being occupied by another family full of strangers - I should try at least contacting one of my friends. My brain raced frantically to recall who lived nearby.

 _Megan._

Perfect. She should still be in town for two more weeks before heading back to university in Los Angeles, California. Even if she doesn't answer her phone, or has a different number, I could still head up to her house and talk to her about what was going on. She only lived a few blocks away, so it shouldn't take more than ten minutes to walk over.

 _That's only if_ her _house isn't filled with strangers too,_ a tiny voice muttered sarcastically in the recesses of my mind. I blatantly ignored said voice in favor of keeping myself hopeful.

Prepped with a plan, albeit a flimsy one, I snatched up the phone again and dialed her number by memory.

I held my breath.

It rang once. Twice - " _Hello?"_

A familiar voice. A very _very_ familiar voice. A relieved breath escaped past my lips and I gave a breathy chuckle, "Hey Megs, what up?"

"Uh nothin' much. Who's this?" she asked, and I could practically her long face scrunching up thoughtfully as she tried deciphering my voice through the phone.

"It's me, Jamie. I couldn't call from my cell because it's out of service." I rested my elbow on the dark mahogany table as I leaned my ear into the phone. I flashed Angela a brief smile, celebrating my success, before dropping my gaze down to the wood below.

" _Jamie Fields_?" she inquired after a short pause.

"Nah, it's me, the one and only Jamie Crowell of Narnia." I snorted, a wave of calmness overtaking me as I started talking. I felt more grounded now that I could talk to someone I knew about my random bout of insanity and utter confusion. "Things came up so I just thought I'd call and see if you were home. I'm having a really...eventful night. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, so I was just gonna stop on by and have you double check and see if I'm going crazy or not."

There was a long pause on the other line, which wasn't too unusual, but it was lengthy enough to make me feel odd.

"Heya, you still there?"

" _Uh yeah I am...though...I think you might have the wrong number."_ She responded, voice doused with a layer of apology and awkwardness.

I paused, making a weird face, "This is Megan right? Megan Summers?"

" _Yeahhh,"_ she drawled out. Then there was another pause before she spoke up again. " _Wait a second - is this Taylor?"_

"No, it's Bob the Builder," I retorted snidely, a tad exasperated and not wanting to assuage her curiosity about who was behind the phone. " _Anyways_ , just heads up I'm gonna come by and crash at your place and eat all your precious pretzel chips and hummus whether you're home or not."

" _Hey! Hands off my precious edible babies!"_ Megan whined in response, amusement lacing her words.

"We'll see about that. I guess it depends on my mood," I chuckled, "but that leads me to my next question. You _are_ home right? Not still on vacation, right?"

" _Uh yeah? I got back a day or two ago."_

"Alright, then I'll see you in like ten minutes. I'm bringing Dakota by the way, so prepare to be drooled and slobbered on by her Highness. See ya in a bit!"

" _Bye Tay-?"_

I hung up before she finished her sentence; my chest continued to ache. Despite what I forced myself to believe, Megan sounded genuinely confused. Almost as if…

 _No,_ I thought firmly, _Everything is fine. It has to be._

I reached over the table and handed Angela the phone, a relieved smile painted carefully across my lips as I thanked her. The blonde woman politely mirrored my face and took said device before standing and going to the charger and replacing the phone. I stood at the same time she did, snatching up my gloves and pulling them back onto my still cold hands.

"Thank you for letting me come in and for using your phone." I told the young mother sincerely as soon as she was facing me. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I'm not entirely sure what's happening, but I guess it's very possible I'm not in the right state of mind after...uh...well I tripped on the walk. I hit my head but didn't think anything of it until now..."

A small lie, but it was more believable than being electrocuted by some weird anomaly that just happened to shock me out of nowhere. Or something.

"You hit your head?" she drawled out uncertainly, furrowing her brow.

"Yeah, I slipped and fell. Got a nasty bump to prove it. I'm alright though, really." I started to fumble my words, and I instantly regretted trying to come up with a lame excuse. Another strained smile stretched across my face and I made my way slowly towards the front door. Light footsteps trailed behind me, and I refused to turn around and meet Angela's bemused gaze. I had a gut feeling she wasn't quite sure how to take everything, and it's needless to say, but even _I_ wasn't sure how to process everything. The fact that _my_ address and _my_ home phone number were apparently _not_ _mine_ made my stomach queasy. Not to mention both my parents' cell numbers were apparently wrong, too.

Fighting the urge to simply sprint away from the suffocating atmosphere, I got to the end of the hall and swung open the front door quickly. As soon as I stepped out onto the stone porch, Dakota rushed ahead excitedly, yanking at the leash. I looked back at Angela a final time and said, "Thanks again, Ann. I really appreciate your kindness."

"It wasn't a problem," she replied cordially, "I hope everything works out for you."

"I'm sure it will. Thanks!" I turned on my heel, raising a hand in a quick wave goodbye, and marched down the snowy steps carefully. Once I was a few feet away from the porch, the door behind me closed with a quiet thump. I let out a visible sigh into the frosty air. My cheeks were still burning from the embarrassing situation, and I knew that I'd never be able to think about it without wanting to rip it from my memories.

My neck swiveled around once more so I could gaze upon the bricked, familiar single-story home with a scrutinizing eye. Other than the door, I noticed the windows had also been replaced. Even the landscaping underneath the sleek white blanket looked a bit off. However, the single large oak tree was exactly the same tree I had grown up with - it even had the same scar in it's trunk from some thunderstorm that happened years ago! I blinked back the urge to start crying and swallowed the knot lodged in my throat instead.

" _God..._ I can't believe this." My gloved hand reached out and rubbed my increasingly itchy eyes. I wasn't going crazy. I wasn't imagining this. I knew I was still completely sane. I needed to figure out what was happening, and then I could figure out what to do from there.

 _The aberration,_ my brain suddenly whispered it's only logical explanation, _it was that weird rippling aberration that did this._

A thrill of fear sent icy claws scraping down the length of my spine and kick-started my heart into overdrive. The very thought of not being able to breath, of the intense agony, and the feeling of utter helplessness - it was probably going to haunt me for the remainder of my life. The full experience had been a couple of seconds at most, but for some insane reason, it had felt like _eons_ of suffering. I didn't want to go back and investigate the odd phenomenon. I didn't want to risk it. I didn't want to experience that pain again, no matter how brief it might've been.

I stared at the old oak tree with a dazed expression for a long while as my subconsciousness murmured its millions of theories surrounding the rippling air pocket. Each insane theory gave way to another, and some even sounded plausible _,_ but I didn't want to believe any of them. I refused to believe them on the grounds that this was real life, and real life meant _normal_. Despite all the years wrapping myself in otherworldly fantasies, I understood well enough to separate myself from believing in wishful thinking.

 _I did_ **not** _somehow go through a magical rippling portal and land in a world parallel to my own._

I refused to believe it. This was not the Twilight Zone. There were millions of other plausible explanations. Like how this was all an elaborate hoax for some TV show, because that made more sense than magical portals, right? Not that I really believed that it was some kind of prank, but I was coming up short for more realistic ideas.

Dakota jolted me out of my intense musings with a gentle tug, and I sighed loudly and let her drag me along down the pristine surface of cold white powder. I eyed the the snow leading up to the mailbox curiously, taking in how there were no footprints from when I got the mail earlier that evening - yet another piece to take account of in this ever growing puzzle.

One vigorous head shake later, I gritted my teeth and began the short journey to Megan's house.

I needed answers. Badly.

-x-

The neighborhood was pretty much the same, I noted inwardly while shuffling past rows of recognizable houses, but my spacial awareness eventually caught a few discrepancies. Every so often there was something odd or out of place: a different team flag, certain building designs, brick and fence colors, drastically altered landscaping underneath a blanket of cold white powder. The world around me felt so...different in a way I couldn't exactly pinpoint.

The muffled, rhythmic crunching of snow underfoot kept me somewhat calm as I neared Megan's place. Her front yard was in full view, and I felt my heart gain weight with each step closer. She would be expecting me, I knew, but what if…

I sped up a little, tugging Dakota's leash so she'd match my new pace.

We strolled up to her front door in good time, and I instinctively grabbed the door handle to push it open before flinching away. Right. It would probably be best to not just waltz in like usual. I inhaled deeply.

 _Everything's going to work out._

I brought up a fist and rapped loudly on the ebony door. I stood directly in front of it, head lowered and purposefully avoiding eye contact with the side windows. After a prolonged minute, I noticed a shadow in my peripheral vision coming from one of the said windows. I forcefully steeled myself for what was to come.

The door opened slowly. The young woman in front of me looked...much younger. Like a prepubescent girl. She had always been on the taller side, so I was shocked to find her figure only centimeters taller than me. _She's not wearing shoes_ , I tried to rationalize quickly, _while I'm wearing thick soled boots. Everything's fine._

Except, I knew nothing was okay.

Cool hazel eyes met pools of warm chocolate. Without missing a beat, my whole disposition changed. I smiled brightly up at Megan and greeted her cheerfully, "Hey Megs!"

Slowly, those same hazel orbs blinked at me in genuine confusion.

"Uh...hello? Who are you exactly?"

 _...I'm going to be fine._


	3. Chapter 3

**Author:** Skyver Pi

 **Summary:** My brother was alone in the house when I took the dog out for a walk, but I returned to strangers whom greeted me at the door - no brother in sight. That was the moment the world began to tilt as I slowly began to realize what had was the moment I discovered I didn't exist. SI/OC.

 **AN:** _Not exactly thrilled with this chapter, but it more of a transition chapter than anything else, so please take it with a grain of salt. I_ _appreciate all those who've favorited/followed this story! And an extra thanks to those who've reviewed! Also,_ PrayTonight, _I hope this chapter clears up the timeline for you!_

* * *

 **The Aberration**

 **-x-**

 _Chapter 3_

A part of me had already planned for this scenario. It understood the fine dance between what might happen and what I wanted to happen, and after the odd phone call, it prepared me for what _could_ happen. Yet. Yet I didn't expect those words to impact me so harshly.

Perhaps it wasn't the words themselves, but the true meaning that followed them. The implications. The _reality_ of the situation. It was a suckerpunch in the gut, and I couldn't stop the overwhelming panic and frantic thumping of my heart. My composure fractured.

"I-It's...it's _me. Jaime."_ I whispered pleadingly, eyes boring Megan's with an intensity that seemed to jolt her from her stupor. I continued my desperate plea without pause, "We've known each other for years. I come over all the time. So please, Megan, if this is all some big practical joke, just stop it already _._ I'm honest to god about to have a nervous breakdown!"

I was trembling. Be it from the cold or sheer emotion, I wasn't sure, but nevertheless I couldn't keep myself fully collected. My gloved hand reached up and quickly swept at my increasingly warm, itchy eyes.

After my outburst, Megan remained standing dumbstruck and speechless. It took a little bit, but eventually I found my voice again, "I-If you give me a chance, I'll show you. If you really don't know who I am, then I might sound like I'm some raving lunatic, but there's pictures of us on my phone. If you really don't know who I am... j-just give me the benefit of the doubt. Please. I-I don't know what other options I even have at this point. Because either I'm going crazy or this is actually happening."

She watched me guardedly; curiosity, however, sprinkled her pensive gaze. A _youthful_ gaze. Like a cold slap to the face, I finally took a moment to really process her appearance. She had longer hair than her usual cut, straight bangs across her forehead, and a pretty - though not fully matured - face. She actually looked exactly like those middle school pictures she'd shown me way back when. Did this mean...no that couldn't be right...

Unaware of the sudden shock to my system, Megan replied hesitantly, "Um, uh, I guess you can come in if you want? I'm not doing anything at the moment."

"Is Madre and -" I cut myself off quickly "- uh, are your parents home by chance?"

Megan blinked owlishly before she nodded an affirmation. "Yeah, my mom's home."

"I think...I think you'll want to grab her if she's not busy at the moment."

"Okay..." She acquiesced easily enough.

" _Uh,_ and one more thing…"

"Yeah?"

I asked rather meekly, "Well, how exactly do I put it? Could you tell me possibly tell me the date? Like...the year specifically?"

Megan's eyes grew wide as saucers, and that last question alone must've short-circuited her brain. After all, the implications of the question could easily be construed into something utterly fantastical. "It's the tenth," she answered, a bit awestruck. "January 10, 2011."

" _2011!?"_ I squawked out a breathy exclamation. "B-but that means - !"

 _I'm seven years in the past._

The world shifted just a little, and things began falling into place.

My family hadn't moved from Vermont yet. My family's phone numbers were changed right after moving to Texas because we switched phone companies. I hadn't met Megan yet. Things looked different now because they _changed over time._

 _I didn't wind up in some parallel dimension,_ I silently freaked out, _I fucking time-traveled!_

...As if one of those things wasn't as mind blowing as the other.

-x-

" - Suddenly, without warning this...almost electric-like shock comes out of nowhere…"

Two familiar faces sat at the cluttered kitchen table, facing me with rapt attention. My hands were wildly gesturing all over the place as my voice echoed softly through the living room and kitchen. The story went on and on, and I constantly referenced anything I could about all of our lives, praying they didn't think I was some deranged lunatic. After taking a breather, I finally passed my smartphone to Megan and pointed out a few of our shared texts and weird-ass selfies of us cosplaying and hanging out with our shared friends.

Megan interjected as she scrolled once more through my phone photo gallery, "Shit, that's _me?_ Whoa, what anime is that from? These photos look so professional! Oh, oh - _damn_ that Sebastian cosplay looks freaking amazing! Future-me is awesome!"

"Yeah, she is. Future-You became one of my best friends after I moved to Texas. We did so much together." I smiled fondly, intrigued and a bit relieved by Megan's reactions. "We even ended up forming a cosplay group with a bunch of other people and went to conventions every year."

I glanced over next to Megan's mother, Lynnette Summers, whom Megan obviously got her features from, and smiled warmly. "Eventually me and everyone else just called you Madre. And to be honest, you're like my second, more cool, mom. I love my mom, but I'm always able to be my myself with you. Be it nerding out or swearing the alphabet."

The older woman grinned serenely in response. "Hopefully, I can still offer you that kind of support, Jaime. This all might be a bit hard to digest, but...It's hard _not_ to believe either."

"Who's this?" Megan nudged me out of nowhere, and I glanced over at the phone. I couldn't help but grin mischievously while looking at the cute picture of Megan and her future girlfriend.

"Oh, just a person you'll probably be interested in meeting in a few years. She's a bundle of fun. Ya'll got along pretty well." I chuckled inwardly and said no more on the subject. It wouldn't do good to reveal everything the future had to offer.

"Jaime, you said that you're family is still in Vermont?" Madre inquired, looking beneath the rims of her circular glasses.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the case. We didn't move here till the November of 2011." I responded with a sigh. Megan looked up from the phone and looked at me with a contemplative expression. "I'm not exactly sure what I should even do when it comes to my family either, if I'm honest. If...If I try to talk with them, or to the me of my past, what happens to the whole time-space continuum? Does this world break off into a different timeline and become an alternate dimension? Or did all this already happen, and I've somehow been caught in some kind of time loop? There's so many theories about time-travel, but which am I supposed to believe in?"

"We could probably talk about that for hours and still never know for certain, so let's not worry too much now," the pale-haired woman soothed. "Instead, we can focus on the present. Like the present fact that both you and your dog are going to need a place to stay for the time being. And as it happens, we _do_ have an extra room available."

"Are you sure?" I asked politely, already knowing her answer.

"Positive." She replied, "I don't think throwing you onto the streets while it's snowing is very humane, is it? I'd rather you stayed here for a little while than have no place to go. Besides, who else can claim bragging rights of helping out a time-traveler?"

I chuckled and beamed graciously, "If only I had a fez and sonic screwdriver. Then you'd _really_ be happy to let me stay." There was a collective laugh at the reference from all three of us. Though, on a more serious note, I continued, "If it's not too much trouble, I'd be relieved to have somewhere to stay. So thank you very much for offering."

Lynnette responded lightly, "Despite all this time-travel stuff being hard to really take in, I really don't think it should affect whether or not you deserve a roof over your head or not."

I was properly left without words at that. It took me a few moments to really gather myself and not burst into a blubbering mess before plowing the conversation onward, "That's definitely one way to look at it, so thank you again. Also, if I _am_ staying, the least I can do is help out with chores and running errands. I'll be your free cleaning service till I can find some kind of job to properly pay you for rent."

"You don't have to worry about that right away, but but it sounds like a reasonable plan." Madre chuckled widely, easily understanding and accepting my current situation.

There was a reason I loved being friends with Megan Summers. Not only was she an amazing person, but her family was just as great.

It probably helped that they were all open-minded nerds at heart.

-x-

Later that evening I encountered Davis, Megan's fraternal twin, who I discovered was still glued to the computer at this age too. After our introductions, he awkwardly accepted the fact I'd be a new tenant, but other than that he kept to himself. We didn't elaborate on why I was staying, but he was the type of person that wouldn't really care either way. Jarod on the other hand, or Megan's dad, after hearing the rundown of my situation, easily agreed with my staying in their house. He was a nerd at heart, and was beyond enthusiastic to learn that I had somehow time-traveled. In fact, it took less to convince Jarod - or Padre as I liked to call him - than it did Megan and her mother.

That night Megan helped me sort out the guest room so that I could officially take up residence in said room. It looked much different than I was used to, but it didn't bother me too much since I already knew my situation. Once we finished, Megan jumped up to join me on the bed and sat crisscrossed, facing me excitedly. I blinked, a bit surprised at her suddenness.

"Yes?" I asked with raised eyebrows. If I remembered correctly, _Megan_ was supposed to be reserved one of the two of us. In fact, the whole situation was ironic. Here I was being all calm and quiet, while she was taking on a hyper and chatty personality. It was as if we were two completely different people.

Her broad grin turned feral, and she asked me, "You have to tell me, what's the future like? Like, what do I do for a job and stuff?"

I shrugged and gave a little smile, "You going to go into film and stuff, though you probably aren't too surprised about that. No job yet, just some freelance work here and there."

Already I saw a knowing, thrilled smile begin to etch itself onto her face. "How far in the future is that?"

"Seven years," I replied. "Oh, and happy belated birthday. It was the fourth when I...ended up here. Me and Future-You were supposed to get together for sushi on the eighth to celebrate, but I guess...that didn't happen."

She blinked. Not sure how to respond, she let out a small, "Oh."

I waved a hand in a placating gesture, "It's fine. We can still go if you want...it just might be a little weird for the both of us."

"I...I wouldn't mind. Let's go tomorrow." Megan said, looking me directly in the eye. An aching pain struck my chest, but I simply beamed at her and nodded happily.

"Sounds good."

-x-

Eventually Megan left the room and I changed into an older shirt and pajama pants. Dakota came flying into the room a few minutes before I flicked off the light switch, and the two of us got up on the bed and made ourselves comfortable. My body was so, so tired. I was utterly done with the day, but my mind was buzzing uncontrollably. I felt like I was forgetting something. Something important. I tossed and turned restlessly until I just gave up on sleep altogether.

As it happens, there came a point in the night where I finally recalled exactly what - no, _who -_ I was forgetting.

 _Audrey Summers._

Megan's elder sister by two years.

Where was she? No one had mentioned her at all. In fact, they had only referred to her room as an 'extra' or 'guest' room. Not only that, but there was nothing in the said room to indicate that it was her room to begin with. Head fuzzy,, I pushed off the covers and reached for the bedside lamp. A click later and I was up and walking slowly around the unusually bare room, scrutinizing everything I could. There were two picture frames atop the oak dresser, both of which had nothing to do with the missing sister.

I began to snoop through the drawers and closet, noticing a mix of older clothes with discarded toys and miscellaneous items. I eventually sat on the plush floor and sorted through a pile of old papers, all of which were essentially worthless in my impromptu investigation.

-x-

Soon enough it was six in the morning, and I had somehow combed through the entire room. Surprisingly, I found nothing of notable interest in my sluggish search, but I _did_ single-handedly organize and clean the remains of the messy drawers and closet - a feat that Megan and I failed to accomplish earlier that night.

A large yawn was extracted from my lips as I went over to pet Dakota passed out on the bed. She woke up with a lazy tail wag, and I whispered to her, "Let's go outside, girl." One mighty stretch later and the husky jumped off the bed, padding over towards the exit. I followed quietly after her, cracking open the door to let her escape the room. Unlike Dakota's mad scamper, I tiptoed past the upstairs living area till I reached the stairs and made my way down. Another yawn came and went, and I spent a few seconds rubbing my eyes tiredly while making my way through the hall. When I finally reached the door to the backyard, I stealthily unlocked and opened it.

Not missing a beat, Dakota darted past my legs and out into the winter wonderland. I smiled at her exuberance before closing the door right after, so I didn't become a human popsicle. Standing alone in the quiet house, listening to the familiar hum of the refrigerator, I was able to inhale the familiar scent and imagine this was just another sleepover. That everything was exactly as it should be. That nothing was different.

The nostalgia calmed me, so I took a moment for myself and sat down on a nearby chair. I embraced the stillness of both the house and my foggy, sleep-deprived mind. The world became a muffled existence, and the seconds morphed into minutes. The peace of mind was short-lived, though.

I jolted from my seat in an ungainly move to right myself, having almost fallen off the seat. My heavy eyelids blinked hard, and I forced myself to shake off the tranquil daze that had befallen me.

 _Right, investigation. I should keep looking around._

I slowly rose from the wooden chair and meandered clumsily over to the main living area connected to the kitchen. The change from chilled tile to soft carpet was a blessing to my bare feet. I found my way in front of the fireplace, glancing up at all the picture frames scattered on the shelf above the dark bricks. With growing unease, I looked over each and every photo. Only, I found nothing. Seven years from now there'd be a handful of pictures with Audrey, with and without the family - from childhood to teenage years. However, everything pointed to the conclusion that there wasn't an elder sister at all.

 _It's as if…_

-x-

"Hey Megan, is Audrey around?" I asked casually over breakfast, munching on a piece of toast. She chewed a little faster before swallowing, wiping off her mouth with a napkin.

"Who?" She finally asked, raising an eyebrow.

I replied, trying to keep the incredulous tone from my voice"...Your sister."

My younger friend blinked slowly, before screwing up her face in what I garnered to be a thoughtful expression. "I don't have a sister...yet? Wait, so Mom is going to have another kid?!"

 _Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum._

My heartbeat sped up a fraction. Each beat was a hammer pounding down nails of complete disbelief and confusion. Suddenly I didn't want to hear the answer. I already knew what it would be.

"Not exactly," I replied vaguely. I didn't elaborate on the subject, ears deaf to Megan's protests.

I didn't want to think anymore. I was tired of thinking. I was just...tired.

-x-

 _It's as if she didn't exist._

* * *

 **AN:** Hope you liked this chapter? I'm feeling iffy about it, but meh, I'm more focused on the next chapter to really care about this one. Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

* * *

 _Also, a little game for any reviewers out there: give me one or two advanced vocabulary words to use in the next chapter and try to find them in the next chapter._


	4. Chapter 4

**Author:** _Skyver Pi_

 **Summary:** _My brother was alone in the house when I took the dog out for a walk, but it was a stranger that greeted me at the door when I returned - no brother in sight. That was the moment the world began to tilt. That was the moment I discovered I didn't exist. SI/OC._

 **AN:** _The next chapter will be posted soon, probably sometime next week. As for this chapter...I smell the start of a plot ;)_

* * *

 **The Aberration**

 **-x-**

 _Chapter 4_

The day passed by in a blur after the whole Audrey-isn't-here breakfast fiasco. Megan, Madre and I went out to eat sushi for lunch before shopping for both Dakota and I. My mind, though, was much too preoccupied with all sorts of crazy theories to care about anything else. It was a miracle in itself that I got through the day being as absentminded as I was.

Still, the same questions buzzed and pestered my aching cranium every passing minute. For one, if Audrey Summers doesn't exist, did I really just time-travel? Or did my appearance somehow have drastic consequences despite arriving _after_ her birth?

Then again, if I did travel back in time...wouldn't _I_ know about my past-self if I decided to see my family? Maybe something happened so I never got to see them? Not only that, but wouldn't Megan have told me about meeting my past-self? Or did I decide it was too risky to mess with time and told Megan and her family never to mention my future-self to my past-self in case there was some paradox?

 _Is time linear, or is it constantly inconsistent?_ I wondered absently for the gazillionth time in the span of an hour. _If it's linear then 'going back' isn't really going back, but continuing forward on the singular line. So it wouldn't really create a paradox if I met up with my past self...right?_

"Hey Jaime, Dakota is acting up." Megan poked her head into the kitchen where I was currently lounging on the island barstool, doodling spirals and cartoonish stick figures on my makeshift 'necessities' checklist. I glanced up quickly at the time and pinched my face in a contemplative expression. It was later than I thought it was.

"Is she whining, circling around like a crazy dog, or just acting particularly annoying?" I asked inattentively, coloring in the horribly drawn eyes of one of my impromptu sketches.

"A mix between all three, I guess." Megan answered, strolling over and hovering over my shoulder to look at my crappy doodles. She gave a small chortle, "What's the heck is that supposed to be?"

"Some kind of conniving person-thingy that wants to rule the world. I think I'll name him Charlie," I shrugged. "Anyway, I think Dakota just wants to go out for a walk. I normally take her out around this time, if not before."

I didn't care to mention how much I was dreading having to take her out. I knew it meant I'd be returning to a certain location, despite my reservations. I _had_ to go back to investigate, even if the dread of going back rested like poisonous lead in my stomach. I didn't want to risk bringing along Megan either - just in case. She wouldn't think twice about accompanying me, and I didn't want to live with the guilt of something happening to her. I scooted the stool out and hopped down to the tiled floor, "I'll be back in an hour or so. Dakota isn't going to stop being annoying till I take her out."

Breathe in. Breathe out.

I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable adventure.

"Alright. Be careful. Try not to get sucked into random portals again." She grinned and laughed lightly. I mirrored her, grateful for her worry yet uncomfortable with the joking tone. She didn't understand, I had to remind myself.

No one would understand.

 **-x-**

Emery Street.

Looking down it now, I shivered as an ominous prickle of fear slither down my spine.

It was only eight in the evening, yet the the wings of midnight had already plunged down and smothered the street with its oppressing darkness and foreboding whispers. Only a sliver of moonlight dared to peer from behind its cloudy shield and flit across the frosted world below. I inhaled the frigid dry air and steeled myself to face the scene of the crime once more; my right hand fisted the leash tighter.

"Well, here we are again." I glanced around nervously. If I wanted to make light of the situation, I guess I could go on to say that I was getting cold feet - but even bad puns weren't helping. The mere possibility that I could experience the agony and disorientation once more...violently churned my stomach. My right hand quickly reached up to cup my mouth, and I swallowed roughly as burning bile threatened to slither up my esophagus.

I couldn't stop. I _had_ to find some answers.

The acidic sickness finally made its way down my throat; I heaved a long, exhausted sigh. I hardly gave myself reprieve before reluctantly the steps made during our hasty retreat the previous night. My eyes were attentive and alert for any signs of the - magical? - rippling air pocket.

 _Portal._

I had briefly mulled the thought over earlier on before reaching Megan's house, but it had been such an absurd, fantastical idea. Even as I gawked at the overwhelming evidence...the very notion that I had somehow traveled through a magical portal to the past was hard to believe. Yes, I was open-minded and an adventurer at heart, but I couldn't understand how something of this magnitude actually happened to _me_.

Eventually I crouched down and scooped up a handful of powdery snow. I smoothed it into a spherical shape before looking at the empty air in front of me. I inhaled sharply and flung it forward. To my surprise, the air seemed to ripple as the snowball phased through the spot. It didn't disappear, however, choosing instead to land a few feet away. Curious, I tried it once more, but with more force.

The snowball phased through and landed by the first.

I sighed, reining in my observations and mused on whether or not I should self-experiment. God, I really didn't want to. My entire subconscious hollered profanities and frantically rang loud warning bells meant to deter me from the stupid idea. My breaths came out shorter and faster as I tried to suppress the growing panic. I ground my teeth and shoved away my logic and paralyzing fear.

My hand slowly reached out in front of me.

The gloved appendage touched a cold nothingness -

The air shuddered around my hand. I could feel the blood course violently through my veins; my heart thrashed against my ribcage in an attempt to escape my chest. Then, before I could properly think through my foolhardy actions, I threw the rest of my body across the threshold between safety and unknown.

Cold.

 _Cold -_

An echo of dull pain flickered throughout my body, yet it was weak compared to before, as if it was simply a faded memory. For a brief second, I was absolutely certain there was a feeble tug in the connection between realities, but it failed to last. It was as if it couldn't muster any more energy.

I phased completely through the anomaly like the snowballs before me. Upon getting to the other side in one piece, my spaghetti legs collapsed from beneath me from sheer relief. My knees struck snow; my heart continued to thump loudly.

Somehow Dakota had effortlessly side-stepped the portal and made her way to my side with all the regal grace of royalty. Her wet nose poked at the snowballs resting next to me before coming up to sniff the crook of my neck, as if to check to see if I was fine after risking my life on a hopeful notion that I could jump through the portal to my own time once more. I sighed and scratched Dakota lazily behind her fuzzy ears. My butt hit the ground right after, and I made myself comfortable in the middle of the quiet sidewalk.

"You know, maybe I'm just going crazy?" I gave another melodramatic sigh. Dakota's lack of reply was taken with a grain of salt, though I noticed she didn't seem very happy. Actually, she was giving me what I liked to call her 'annoyed' stare. Probably since we were right next to the very thing that caused us both a good amount of pain and trouble the night before. I huffed a few seconds later, "I'm going to take that as a 'yes, you are'. Hopefully I don't land in the psych ward after this. I like my freedom, thank you very much."

After a bit, I got up from the frozen ground and brushed the cold power clinging to my bottoms. I really didn't know how my weak legs were supporting me, but they somehow managed. I sighed and was about to keep walking and head back to the house, but a sudden voice from behind shattered the relative silence clinging to the suburban nighttime.

"I knew you'd be back."

My heart skidded to a halt and I jumped about ten feet into the air, spinning around to face the soft voice that sounded through my very soul. A silhouette was outlined against the yellow glow provided by the dim, buzzing streetlight. My muscles were taut, ready to put up a fight or flee if there was any sign of danger.

"What? Who are you?" I always dreamed that in this kind of bizarre situation, I might be more original in my dialogue, but I hardly knew what else to say.

The woman - since neither her voice nor her figure hinted at being a man - wore a intricately designed mask to cover the top half of her face and was outfitted in a...robe thing? It was almost medieval, and far from normal. I waited with baited breath for a reply; there was a tug pulling up her lips that betrayed her amusement. When she replied, her voice sounded sweet and unthreatening, like a mockingbird trapped in human form, "Someone who's simply interested in helping you along."

"I believe it would be wiser if you were straight to the point and didn't waste our time fooling around." A deeper, masculine voice interjected bluntly. I blinked. Suddenly the robed woman was joined by another. He was tall and slender with sleek dark hair peppered with aged strands. A dark red cloak was wrapped around his shoulders with a high collar that encompassed his long neck. He reminded me of someone, too, but that wasn't my main concern though. I was more aghast at _how he seemingly appeared out of thin air._ That kind of thing didn't just _happen._

"Impatient much, are we? I was literally about to start the introductions."

"Need I remind you that our presence here is fleeting? I suggest you get this over with quickly."

"I know! Just... _Ugh_. Fine, we'll do this your way." The woman snapped back, which seemed to completely shatter my perception of her as a just a creepy, mysterious figure. Without a missed beat, she whipped her head forward so her piercing gaze underneath the mask were trained on mine.

"Wha-What's going on? Who are you?" I asked meekly, finding my voice.

"Jaime Annalise Crowell, there are a few things you need to know about your current situation," the woman said firmly, taking a step forward. My vice-like grip on Dakota's leash tightened even more as soon as she said my whole name, and I let my right foot drag backwards in case I needed to run.

 _Why did she know my name?_

The robed figure raised her closed fist and lifted a single finger. "First - you're far, far from home. You're not going to see it again any time soon, so don't waste your breath trying till after everything's said and done. No only that, but you've wound up in an entirely different universe. It's one you're familiar with, but some things are vastly different - like yourself for instance. You technically don't exist on this plane of reality, yet here you are."

 _...What? What the actual fuck?_

"Wait, hold up - !" I tried to interrupt.

"Second," The woman rose her soft voice above my own, and I cut myself off instantly. The woman took another step closer, dropping her hand so she could reach for her dark hood. She pulled it down and began taking a few more steps towards my stilled form. Chestnut hair darkened by the night cascaded down her shoulders; long bangs framed her masked face.

There was something very, very familiar about her. Her movements, voice, speech pattern, small rounded face hidden beneath the mask, average stature -

"You can't escape Fate - or the Sister Fates, to be more accurate. If you do, you'll probably end up like Oedipus Rex. This probably sounds stupid, but trust me on this. It's not something you should even try to fight."

"Who...who _are_ you?" I whispered the question again, my chocolate orbs wide like saucers.

"A friend." She stepped closer. Close enough so that Dakota could greet her with a warm welcoming nudge and desperate whine. I didn't pull the husky back, but I a sense of déjà vu washed over me - as if this had all happened before, but I couldn't remember it. She crooned at Dakota softly, "Hey girly, how are you? Still leading the way, like always, huh?"

One excited whine and wolfish grin later, Dakota had ended her greeting and stepped completely to the side, much to my shock. The woman was now only a handshake away, and the closer she came the more I refused to acknowledge what I was seeing.

"Third - be sure to enjoy yourself. Don't get so caught up with what you don't have and focus on what you _do_ have. That's one thing I wish I could change." She cracked a grin before carefully removing her ornate mask and setting it atop of her head. Her cheeks looked a bit more hollowed, and her facial features a tad sharper and carved than my pudgier ones.

Still, despite her older appearance, it was impossible to not recognize the face I saw in the mirror every single day.

* * *

AN: _Things get...really complicated next chapter. Extraordinarily complicated...with lots of exposition and plot. Though, all I can tell you right now is that I wrote six different versions of this chapter, and I _still _hate it. It feels to rushed and choppy. I may go back and edit it at some point._

 _Can I also be the first to say 'HOLY SHIT' to the number of favs/follows/reviews I got recently? Because holy shit_. _Thank you for giving this story a chance. Special thanks to those who took the time to review:_ _ **Daughter of Trickery, Exotence, Samara Holmes, TwinsConspiracy, SnowCatt, SkippingThough, PrayTonight, VenaHope.**_ _I literally read each one five times over so I get the motivation to keep writing, so thank you very much. Hope your questions are answered with time._

 _Thanks again,_

Skyver


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